Empathy First Initiative has outlined what are referred to as Empathy First Dinner Groups, which we believe are a natural complement to Far Between. The dinner groups involve bringing friends together around good food to practice empathetic engagement by sharing and talking about someone’s experience or story under agreed-upon ground rules. Empathy First Dinner Groups allow an empathy-centered conversation to flourish in a safe, organized environment. It shouldn’t be a heavily contrived event but just a space where we learn from the experiences and perspectives of others and practice our commitment to approach all of our personal interactions with Empathy First.

Hosting an Empathy First Dinner Group in 4 easy steps:

3. Hear what it’s like to be homosexual and Mormon by watching a video or reading a blog.

Below, you’ll find an outline of suggestions for making the most of an Empathy First Dinner Group. As we offer suggestions for structured ways to engage with friends, families and community members, we do not mean to imply that our suggestions are the only way to engage. Please remember that there is no one right way to start a conversation or lead a dinner group. If you find value in the suggestions here, great! If you come up with a better method for you, great! Please feel free to find your own groove; we just hope to lend some ideas to help you get there. With empathy and productive, sustainable conversation at the core of your interactions, we encourage you to engage and to share your experiences with us.

Click on the following for Empathy First Initiative’s outlines for making the most of a dinner group:

Detailed Outline – a complete outline of suggestions and guidelines. Most hosts will probably want to read this first, and it makes a useful reference especially for those who are new to hosting this kind of thing.

Short Outline – a condensed outline of reminders or checklist. Some hosts find it useful keep this on-hand during the dinner group.